Sunday, December 19, 2004

Hm. Here, it appears that Governor Schwarzenegger has suggested that the Republican Party move leftward in order to attract new voters.

With all due respect to the Governator, that would be a mistake. As noted here, Arnold didn't win because he was a social moderate -- he won because he was a fiscal conservative. In addition, with the charisma and widespread popularity he's enjoyed from his film career, he could have beaten Gray Davis just as easily, had he been a social conservative.

But most significantly, take a look at what happens when a country's conservative party abandons the field on social issues -- like in England. There, the Tories have seemingly become the permanent minority party, because they have deprived themselves of the social issues; the social issues are what provides a reason for blue collar traditionalists to ignore the class warfare and redistributionist come-ons of the liberal party in any country.

Clearly, Arnold would like to be president. For him to become President (aside from a constitutional amendment allowing a naturalized US citizen to run), the Republican party would have to come to a consensus that it should move left. So Arnold's idea would be good for him -- just not for the rest of us.